Question
It’s become a rite of passage in the United States. Somewhere around the age of sixteen, teenagers often get their driver’s license and move one step closer to adulthood. Thanks to the invention of the automobile this phenomenon has been commonplace for the last century. Teens get licensed and often find new freedom and independence from their parents, but this may all change soon. Drivers may not need licenses because we may be living in a world of cars controlled by supercomputers. Experts argue that this will change society for the better and be an especially positive move forward in the world of transportation and teens.
Driverless cars, also known as Automated Vehicles (AV), are on the cusp of taking over our roadways. Several companies are developing these high-tech vehicles. They claim they will solve the problems associated with teen drivers. These lofty assertions have led to one big question: How safe are driverless cars?
There are obvious safety advantages to a supercomputer controlling a vehicle rather than a teenager. To begin with, computers don’t consume alcohol. More than half of the injuries and deaths of teens due to auto accidents were alcohol related. Proponents of the driverless car note that drunk driving could quickly become a non-issue. Sober computers could save countless lives.
Another large contributor to teen deaths in car accidents is due to a failure to wear seatbelts. Nearly half of the teens between the ages of 16-19 that were killed in crashes in 2018 were unrestrained. With driverless cars, passengers may be required to buckle up while the car is in operation. This could encourage seat belt use among teens.
Human error is the primary cause of motor vehicle accidents. The fact that human driving errors are a leading cause of crashes is precisely why developers of the AV believe that driverless cars have the potential to be safer. They argue that computers don’t make errors. Technology is consistent and reliable when programmed to complete tasks. They believe that the challenge is in programming automated vehicles to know how to respond to every possible situation it may face. Developers claim this is possible.
The data is indisputable—teenage drivers are involved in and die more often in automobile accidents than drivers in any other age group. Yet, it is also clear that while supercomputers may have the potential to be safer drivers than humans, automated vehicles are not safer yet. According to Maria Martin in her article, 29 Must-Know Self-Driving Statistics, published in February of 2021, “…self-driving cars have a higher rate of accidents compared to human-driven cars, but the injuries are less serious. On average, there are 9.1 self-driving car accidents per million miles driven, while the same rate is 4.1 crashes per million miles for regular vehicles.”
It is crucial that driverless technology continue to be developed and studied. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the government entity responsible for highway safety, is committed to that cause. They are actively studying this issue and working alongside the creators of automated vehicles to ensure public safety. They are determined to answer the question, “Who is a safer driver? Humans or computers?” Until then...teens, keep practicing for that driving test!
Driverless trucks and AV (Automated Vehicles) are controlled by an AI (Artificial Intelligence) supercomputer. This computer takes in outside stimulus from sensors, cameras, and tech devices strapped to the outside of the truck and processes all the information at a rate that is fifteen times faster than the average human. They have their own Wi-Fi system within the truck so that they are not at risk of losing a signal and compromising their entire system. With features like these, it’s easy to wonder if the robots really are taking over and why we may or may not want them to do so.
It may surprise you to hear the primary motivators for corporations to use automated trucks rather than those operated by real humans—companies are pushing for more reliable technology in automated trucks so that they can convert to driverless fleets. Why do they want driverless fleets? There are three main reasons—cost, efficiency, and safety.
The Reason Driverless Trucks Are in the Fast Lane of Development
The average cost for the driverless technology on these big rigs is $250,000. At first glance, a quarter of a million dollars for a vehicle sounds outrageous. Surprisingly though, it pales in comparison to the cost of hiring and paying a driver for several years. When the annual salary and benefit packages are combined, the cost of the driverless technology pays for itself in less than five years.
In addition, a driverless truck doesn’t have the limits a human does. There is no need to stop for food or sleep, and a truck doesn’t need sick days or vacation days. Therefore, an automated truck can transport cargo twice as fast and complete three times more driving in a week than a truck operated by a human. An added bonus is that these automated trucks are not only time efficient, but they are also fuel efficient by keeping a steady speed and driving straighter. In contrast, a human driver can be a gas guzzler with even minor inconsistencies in braking and steering. All of these efficiencies affect a company’s profit margin and save businesses money by giving them quicker services for less cost.
Last, experts believe that the technology of driverless trucks has the potential to save human lives. You might wonder, “How can a computer possibly be safer than a human?” The answer lies not in what a computer can do, but rather in what humans do. Humans make mistakes. Sadly, in the world of trucking, those errors often result in fatalities. Unlike human drivers, computers don’t drive drunk or text while driving, they don’t fall asleep or get distracted, and they have consistent and reliable responses to stimuli. Humans do not. Over half a million auto accidents each year—or one in every eight automobile accidents—involve a semi-truck. The creators working on driverless technology believe that they will soon be able to offer a product with much better safety statistics. It seems that they are definitely moving in that direction, and it won’t be a matter of if we see a truck cruising along side us missing a driver, but just a matter of when we will see an empty cab.
Companies developing automated trucks believe that they can reduce the number of semi-truck related fatalities by eliminating human errors.
How does the passage set help the reader understand the life-saving potential of automated vehicles? Use at least ONE detail from EACH text to suppor your answer. Write your answer in the space provided.
Driverless cars, also known as Automated Vehicles (AV), are on the cusp of taking over our roadways. Several companies are developing these high-tech vehicles. They claim they will solve the problems associated with teen drivers. These lofty assertions have led to one big question: How safe are driverless cars?
There are obvious safety advantages to a supercomputer controlling a vehicle rather than a teenager. To begin with, computers don’t consume alcohol. More than half of the injuries and deaths of teens due to auto accidents were alcohol related. Proponents of the driverless car note that drunk driving could quickly become a non-issue. Sober computers could save countless lives.
Another large contributor to teen deaths in car accidents is due to a failure to wear seatbelts. Nearly half of the teens between the ages of 16-19 that were killed in crashes in 2018 were unrestrained. With driverless cars, passengers may be required to buckle up while the car is in operation. This could encourage seat belt use among teens.
Human error is the primary cause of motor vehicle accidents. The fact that human driving errors are a leading cause of crashes is precisely why developers of the AV believe that driverless cars have the potential to be safer. They argue that computers don’t make errors. Technology is consistent and reliable when programmed to complete tasks. They believe that the challenge is in programming automated vehicles to know how to respond to every possible situation it may face. Developers claim this is possible.
The data is indisputable—teenage drivers are involved in and die more often in automobile accidents than drivers in any other age group. Yet, it is also clear that while supercomputers may have the potential to be safer drivers than humans, automated vehicles are not safer yet. According to Maria Martin in her article, 29 Must-Know Self-Driving Statistics, published in February of 2021, “…self-driving cars have a higher rate of accidents compared to human-driven cars, but the injuries are less serious. On average, there are 9.1 self-driving car accidents per million miles driven, while the same rate is 4.1 crashes per million miles for regular vehicles.”
It is crucial that driverless technology continue to be developed and studied. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the government entity responsible for highway safety, is committed to that cause. They are actively studying this issue and working alongside the creators of automated vehicles to ensure public safety. They are determined to answer the question, “Who is a safer driver? Humans or computers?” Until then...teens, keep practicing for that driving test!
Driverless trucks and AV (Automated Vehicles) are controlled by an AI (Artificial Intelligence) supercomputer. This computer takes in outside stimulus from sensors, cameras, and tech devices strapped to the outside of the truck and processes all the information at a rate that is fifteen times faster than the average human. They have their own Wi-Fi system within the truck so that they are not at risk of losing a signal and compromising their entire system. With features like these, it’s easy to wonder if the robots really are taking over and why we may or may not want them to do so.
It may surprise you to hear the primary motivators for corporations to use automated trucks rather than those operated by real humans—companies are pushing for more reliable technology in automated trucks so that they can convert to driverless fleets. Why do they want driverless fleets? There are three main reasons—cost, efficiency, and safety.
The Reason Driverless Trucks Are in the Fast Lane of Development
The average cost for the driverless technology on these big rigs is $250,000. At first glance, a quarter of a million dollars for a vehicle sounds outrageous. Surprisingly though, it pales in comparison to the cost of hiring and paying a driver for several years. When the annual salary and benefit packages are combined, the cost of the driverless technology pays for itself in less than five years.
In addition, a driverless truck doesn’t have the limits a human does. There is no need to stop for food or sleep, and a truck doesn’t need sick days or vacation days. Therefore, an automated truck can transport cargo twice as fast and complete three times more driving in a week than a truck operated by a human. An added bonus is that these automated trucks are not only time efficient, but they are also fuel efficient by keeping a steady speed and driving straighter. In contrast, a human driver can be a gas guzzler with even minor inconsistencies in braking and steering. All of these efficiencies affect a company’s profit margin and save businesses money by giving them quicker services for less cost.
Last, experts believe that the technology of driverless trucks has the potential to save human lives. You might wonder, “How can a computer possibly be safer than a human?” The answer lies not in what a computer can do, but rather in what humans do. Humans make mistakes. Sadly, in the world of trucking, those errors often result in fatalities. Unlike human drivers, computers don’t drive drunk or text while driving, they don’t fall asleep or get distracted, and they have consistent and reliable responses to stimuli. Humans do not. Over half a million auto accidents each year—or one in every eight automobile accidents—involve a semi-truck. The creators working on driverless technology believe that they will soon be able to offer a product with much better safety statistics. It seems that they are definitely moving in that direction, and it won’t be a matter of if we see a truck cruising along side us missing a driver, but just a matter of when we will see an empty cab.
Companies developing automated trucks believe that they can reduce the number of semi-truck related fatalities by eliminating human errors.
How does the passage set help the reader understand the life-saving potential of automated vehicles? Use at least ONE detail from EACH text to suppor your answer. Write your answer in the space provided.
Answers
GPT-4o mini
The passage effectively conveys the life-saving potential of automated vehicles by outlining the risks associated with human driving errors and presenting the advantages of technology. In the first text, it highlights the significant dangers that teenagers face when driving, particularly noting that "more than half of the injuries and deaths of teens due to auto accidents were alcohol related." This statistic emphasizes that human error, such as driving under the influence, contributes significantly to accidents, suggesting that automated vehicles, which do not engage in such risky behaviors, could drastically reduce these fatalities.
Similarly, the second text provides insight into the safety implications of automated trucks by stating, "Unlike human drivers, computers don’t drive drunk or text while driving, they don’t fall asleep or get distracted, and they have consistent and reliable responses to stimuli." This detail underscores the idea that, by removing human error from the equation, automated trucks could significantly lower the rate of accidents and fatalities on the road.
Together, these details from each text help the reader understand that the implementation of automated vehicles could lead to safer roads by eliminating the behaviors and errors that typically lead to serious accidents.
Similarly, the second text provides insight into the safety implications of automated trucks by stating, "Unlike human drivers, computers don’t drive drunk or text while driving, they don’t fall asleep or get distracted, and they have consistent and reliable responses to stimuli." This detail underscores the idea that, by removing human error from the equation, automated trucks could significantly lower the rate of accidents and fatalities on the road.
Together, these details from each text help the reader understand that the implementation of automated vehicles could lead to safer roads by eliminating the behaviors and errors that typically lead to serious accidents.
WRITING TASK
Automated Vehicles (AVs) are becoming more common. Technology plays a large part in driverless vehicles.
Think about the ideas in the two passages, and then write an explanatory essay in your own words about the effects technology is having on driving.
Be sure to use information from BOTH texts in your explanatory essay. Write your answer in the space provided.
Before you write, be sure to:
think about ideas, facts, definitions, details, and other information and examples you want to use;
think about how you will introduce your topic and what the main topic will be for each paragraph;
develop your ideas clearly and use your own words, except when quoting directly from the source texts;
be sure to identify the sources by title or number when using details or facts directly from the sources.
Now write your explanatory essay in the space provided. Be sure to:
use information from the two texts so that your essay includes important details;
introduce the topic clearly, provide a focus, and organize information in a way that makes sense;
develop the topic with facts, definitions, details, quotations, or other information and examples related to the topic;
use appropriate and varied transitions to create cohesion;
clarify the relationships among ideas and concepts;
use clear language and vocabulary to inform about the topic;
provide a conclusion that follows the information presented; and
check your work for correct grammar, usage, capitalization, spelling, and punctuation.
Please use two line spaces (using the "enter" key twice) between each paragraph.
Automated Vehicles (AVs) are becoming more common. Technology plays a large part in driverless vehicles.
Think about the ideas in the two passages, and then write an explanatory essay in your own words about the effects technology is having on driving.
Be sure to use information from BOTH texts in your explanatory essay. Write your answer in the space provided.
Before you write, be sure to:
think about ideas, facts, definitions, details, and other information and examples you want to use;
think about how you will introduce your topic and what the main topic will be for each paragraph;
develop your ideas clearly and use your own words, except when quoting directly from the source texts;
be sure to identify the sources by title or number when using details or facts directly from the sources.
Now write your explanatory essay in the space provided. Be sure to:
use information from the two texts so that your essay includes important details;
introduce the topic clearly, provide a focus, and organize information in a way that makes sense;
develop the topic with facts, definitions, details, quotations, or other information and examples related to the topic;
use appropriate and varied transitions to create cohesion;
clarify the relationships among ideas and concepts;
use clear language and vocabulary to inform about the topic;
provide a conclusion that follows the information presented; and
check your work for correct grammar, usage, capitalization, spelling, and punctuation.
Please use two line spaces (using the "enter" key twice) between each paragraph.
GPT-4o mini
The advent of Automated Vehicles (AVs) is revolutionizing the way we think about transportation. With rapid advancements in technology, driverless cars and trucks are becoming increasingly common, promising to enhance road safety and efficiency. The integration of technology into vehicles has profound implications, particularly regarding human error – a major factor in traffic accidents. This essay explores the effects technology is having on driving as evidenced in various studies, highlighting both the potential benefits and current challenges of automated vehicles.
One of the most significant advantages of AVs is their potential to reduce accidents caused by human mistakes. According to the first text, teenagers are particularly vulnerable to car accidents, primarily due to factors such as alcohol consumption and seatbelt non-use. The passage states that "more than half of the injuries and deaths of teens due to auto accidents were alcohol related." By relying on supercomputers instead of human drivers, the risks associated with impaired driving could be drastically minimized. Since automated vehicles do not engage in risky behaviors like drinking or texting, they present a safer alternative for young drivers who are often more prone to dangerous decisions.
Moreover, the second text discusses the safety enhancements that automated trucks offer compared to human-operated semi-trucks. It emphasizes that "humans make mistakes," which contributes to a high number of accidents involving large vehicles. In fact, "over half a million auto accidents each year—or one in every eight automobile accidents—involve a semi-truck.” The use of AV technology can potentially eliminate many of these fatal errors. Automated trucks, equipped with AI that processes information much faster than a human, can respond more reliably to changing traffic conditions, thereby lowering the chances of accidents.
In addition to improving safety, AV technology promises increased efficiency. The second passage outlines how automated trucks can operate without the need for breaks, and as a result, can travel twice as fast and complete three times more driving in a week compared to their human counterparts. This level of efficiency not only affects logistics and delivery timelines but can also have significant economic implications for businesses. Companies are increasingly motivated to adopt this technology since automated vehicles help reduce operational costs associated with hiring and managing human drivers.
Despite these promising advancements, it is essential to acknowledge that the technology is not yet foolproof. According to Maria Martin in the first text, “self-driving cars have a higher rate of accidents compared to human-driven cars, but the injuries are less serious.” This statistic illustrates that while AVs may mitigate some risks, they still face challenges in safety statistics that are vital to consider before they become fully mainstream. Ongoing research and development are essential to address these issues and ensure that AVs can be a safe alternative for all drivers.
In conclusion, the evolution of technology in the realm of driving, particularly with the emergence of automated vehicles, has the potential to redefine our roadways. By significantly reducing human error, enhancing road safety, and providing operational efficiencies, AVs offer a glimpse into a future of much safer transportation. However, it is crucial to continue studying and improving this technology to ensure that the promised benefits outweigh the current risks. With careful development and implementation, automated vehicles may lead to a more secure and efficient driving experience for all.
One of the most significant advantages of AVs is their potential to reduce accidents caused by human mistakes. According to the first text, teenagers are particularly vulnerable to car accidents, primarily due to factors such as alcohol consumption and seatbelt non-use. The passage states that "more than half of the injuries and deaths of teens due to auto accidents were alcohol related." By relying on supercomputers instead of human drivers, the risks associated with impaired driving could be drastically minimized. Since automated vehicles do not engage in risky behaviors like drinking or texting, they present a safer alternative for young drivers who are often more prone to dangerous decisions.
Moreover, the second text discusses the safety enhancements that automated trucks offer compared to human-operated semi-trucks. It emphasizes that "humans make mistakes," which contributes to a high number of accidents involving large vehicles. In fact, "over half a million auto accidents each year—or one in every eight automobile accidents—involve a semi-truck.” The use of AV technology can potentially eliminate many of these fatal errors. Automated trucks, equipped with AI that processes information much faster than a human, can respond more reliably to changing traffic conditions, thereby lowering the chances of accidents.
In addition to improving safety, AV technology promises increased efficiency. The second passage outlines how automated trucks can operate without the need for breaks, and as a result, can travel twice as fast and complete three times more driving in a week compared to their human counterparts. This level of efficiency not only affects logistics and delivery timelines but can also have significant economic implications for businesses. Companies are increasingly motivated to adopt this technology since automated vehicles help reduce operational costs associated with hiring and managing human drivers.
Despite these promising advancements, it is essential to acknowledge that the technology is not yet foolproof. According to Maria Martin in the first text, “self-driving cars have a higher rate of accidents compared to human-driven cars, but the injuries are less serious.” This statistic illustrates that while AVs may mitigate some risks, they still face challenges in safety statistics that are vital to consider before they become fully mainstream. Ongoing research and development are essential to address these issues and ensure that AVs can be a safe alternative for all drivers.
In conclusion, the evolution of technology in the realm of driving, particularly with the emergence of automated vehicles, has the potential to redefine our roadways. By significantly reducing human error, enhancing road safety, and providing operational efficiencies, AVs offer a glimpse into a future of much safer transportation. However, it is crucial to continue studying and improving this technology to ensure that the promised benefits outweigh the current risks. With careful development and implementation, automated vehicles may lead to a more secure and efficient driving experience for all.